10 of the world's 'blobbiest' buildings

By James Durston, CNN

Updated 1043 GMT (1743 HKT) October 9, 2013

10 of the world's 'blobbiest' buildings10 photos

Metropol Parasol (Spain) – The Metropol Parasol is one of the world's largest wooden structures. Located in Seville, Spain, it stands in stark contrast to the city's historical and urban environment. Its architect, J. Mayer H., received the Red Dot Design Award in 2012 for its sophisticated design.Architect: J. Mayer H.

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10 of the world's 'blobbiest' buildings10 photos

Kunsthaus Graz (Austria) – The Kunsthaus Graz, also known as the Friendly Alien, was built to mark the city of Graz in Austria being named European Capital of Culture for 2003. The exhibition building has a technoid media facade of just fewer than 900 conventional fluorescent lamps on which images and animations can be shown.Architect: Spacelab Cook-Fournier GmbH

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10 of the world's 'blobbiest' buildings10 photos

Experience Music Project (United States) – The Seattle building's remarkable architectural form and sophisticated use of colors and textures can be traced to a melted Stratocaster guitar that served as inspiration to the architect Frank O. Gehry. The Experience Music Project was endowed by Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft.Architects: Frank O. Gehry; LMN Architects

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10 of the world's 'blobbiest' buildings10 photos

New York by Gehry at Eight Spruce Street (U.S.) – The facade of the skyscraper is composed of 10,500 stainless steel panels, some flat, some undulating.In order to better integrate the eye-catching building into its urban context, the bottom five stories of the tower are clad in brick.Architect: Frank O. Gehry

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10 of the world's 'blobbiest' buildings10 photos

Selfridges Building (England) – A shopping center, the Selfridges Building is completely clad in 60-centimeter-wide, shimmering pieces of aluminum. The idea of a "cave-like" shopping universe was the starting point for the building's futuristic design. The architects, Future Systems, won a total of six prizes for the design, including the 2004 RIBA Award for Architecture.Architect: Future Systems

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10 of the world's 'blobbiest' buildings10 photos

The Sage Gateshead (England) – Under its curved glass mantle, The Sage Gateshead houses three concert halls of varying size, all equipped with high-end technology. Since its completion in 2004, the organically shaped event complex has been an attraction in itself around the English city of Newcastle.Architect: Foster + Partners

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10 of the world's 'blobbiest' buildings10 photos

De Admirant Entrance Building (Netherlands) – Floor areas vary with this building's flowing shape, going from 950 meters squared on the ground floor to 250 meters squared on the top floor. Reminiscent of an egg, the De Admirant Entrance Building is part of a newly developed retail quarter of Eindhoven.Architect: M. Fuksas architetto

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10 of the world's 'blobbiest' buildings10 photos

Golden Terraces (Złote Tarasy) (Poland) – Golden Terraces is a complex of buildings and is part of Warsaw's most expensive real estate project to date. The shopping center has a glass roof that consists of 4,700 separate glass elements and extends in the form of a wave over the complex.Architect: The Jerde Partnership

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10 of the world's 'blobbiest' buildings10 photos

City Hall (England) – City Hall in London is the seat of the Greater London Authority and the Mayor of London. City Hall's oval shape has its root in the wish to build as sustainably as possible. The building's surface area is reduced, enabling a high level of energy efficiency.Architect: Foster + Partners

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10 of the world's 'blobbiest' buildings10 photos

DZ Bank Building, Pariser Platz (Germany) – The simple facade of Frank O. Gehry's DZ Bank Building is a consequence of the strict provisions for the historical reconstruction of Pariser Platz, a square in Berlin. Apart from the fish-like shape of the glass roof, what makes this building special is the stainless steel-clad, mussel-shaped auditorium that "hovers" in the atrium.Architect: Frank O. Gehry

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Story highlights

"Blobitecture" comprises buildings with few or no right angles and fluid, flowing forms

Experience Music Project in Seattle, locally known as "The Blob," is a prime example

Blob building Fondation Louis Vuitton pour la Création, designed by Frank O. Gehry, to open in Paris in 2014